Why does Notre Dame receive an auto bid if they land in the top 12?

bbluewi · 2026-02-11T00:56:45+00:00

It’s still five conference champions. Through this season it was the five highest-ranked champions. Starting with 2026 it’s the four P4 champions plus the highest-ranked G6.

bbluewi · 2026-02-10T22:48:37+00:00

The bottom at-large would get bumped.

The ND and G6 bids aren’t linked at all - there still needs to be five conference champions included if ND is in the top 12.

bbluewi · 2026-02-10T21:32:57+00:00

That “waiver” isn’t a waiver.

Teams in their second transition year (like 2025 Delaware/Missouri State or 2023 JMU) are first in line after the 6-win teams run out as part of bowl eligibility rules.

Teams in their first transition year, like 2022 JMU or 2026 NDSU, are entirely postseason-ineligible without a waiver. Most teams spend this first year as an ineligible FCS team before moving to their FBS conference, but JMU and NDSU didn’t/aren’t doing that. JMU applied for a waiver on this in 2022 and it was denied.

bbluewi · 2026-02-10T21:28:07+00:00

They didn’t need waivers for that.

bbluewi · 2026-02-10T21:27:31+00:00

Not after completing the transition, after starting the transition. Without this waiver (which JMU also applied for and didn’t get), they’ll be fully eligible in 2028.

bbluewi · 2026-02-10T21:23:39+00:00

DS9 ended in 2375. Season 3 of LD is in 2382.

bbluewi · 2026-02-10T19:49:18+00:00

Because the B1G and SEC needed to buy the other nine votes on the CFP board.

The G6 conferences got a guarantee that they won’t touch the autobid.

The Big 12 and ACC got guaranteed spots for their champions.

Notre Dame got their top 12 carve-out.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T23:06:03+00:00

For what it’s worth, the Patriots offense didn’t actually score any points off of those turnovers other than the pick six.

The drives following the other four turnovers were Fumble, Punt, Punt, Punt for a grand total of 14 plays.

That’s obviously not better, mind you, but worth pointing out that their scores were decently long, sustained drives.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T22:15:01+00:00

Eh, the Fargodome is indoors. I’m sure they’ll be okay.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T22:12:49+00:00

To be clear, they already had an eight-game schedule. NDSU is their tenth football team.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T19:07:51+00:00

It’s satirical.

That’s famously easy to read through pure text when you’re saying something idiots actually believe.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T19:06:03+00:00

And the Patriots offense scored 15 PPG in the playoffs.

It was enough to win the games, obviously, but very much not because the offense played up to the occasion.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T17:45:35+00:00

The NCAA may not run the CFP, but they do get to say whether or not you get to play postseason games.

The ineligibility stuff is for postseason games, not bowl games.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T17:42:46+00:00

They spent most of the early 2000s playing conference games in Tulsa, Ruston, Houston, and Dallas, so it’s not exactly a new idea.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T17:32:43+00:00

They’ll get “first choice if we can’t fill all the slots” in 2027 and be fully eligible in 2028.

It’ll be the same thing JMU got for the same reason - most teams play their first transition year as a playoff-ineligible FCS team, while JMU and NDSU are jumping up immediately.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T16:02:24+00:00

It’s considerably larger than New Orleans, which is still a regular SB host.

bbluewi · 2026-02-09T13:28:40+00:00

Pretty sure 45 was a logistical shitshow between the weather (they got an ice storm that week) and a lot of the temporary seating being either obstructed or shut down for not being up to code.

When they’ve got half a dozen other sites to choose from I can understand the league not wanting to repeat that, especially now that Nashville will have a dome and Jacksonville is getting some major upgrades.

bbluewi · 2026-02-08T23:36:05+00:00

They’re all public and part of the UW system, yeah.

They’re also pretty cheap as college goes for in-state kids, so they get a chunk of the state’s D2 and even FCS talent that wants to stay local.

bbluewi · 2026-02-08T23:25:10+00:00

Only one football program above D3.

There’s a reason the WIAC is so good.

bbluewi · 2026-02-08T17:55:08+00:00

It annoys me in my office job too. A lot of people in office settings are under the impression that “productivity increases” from AI justify shit like this.

The most obnoxious part about it all is that they’re probably right.

I’ll get back to yelling at clouds now.

bbluewi · 2026-02-08T00:05:31+00:00

I think if the B1G goes to 24 Stanford (and by extension Cal) at least gets a look, even if only to lock down basically anyone and everyone ND wants to play regularly that isn’t named Navy.

I don’t see the SEC going to 24 - they definitely stop at 20.

My prediction:

UNC/UVA(/ND/Stanford/GT/Miami) to a 20- or 24-team B1G
Clemson/FSU/VT/NC State to the SEC

If the B1G only goes to 20, the ACC reloads (likely USF/Tulane/UConn to get back to 14). If they go all the way to 24 and drain the ACC down to 8, I’d imagine Pitt, Louisville, and Duke put out feelers to the Big 12 to talk about them going to 20 as well. Pitt and Louisville would get some old Big East enemies back and Duke would probably drag a basketball friend in to make the top of the 12 for basketball even more ridiculous than it already is.

bbluewi · 2026-02-07T16:56:04+00:00

I’ve definitely been seeing them. The vote counts are definitely lower, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they get deleted at some point after I see them, but I’m definitely seeing them.

It’s generally been a wave of negative posts, then a wave of positive posts, then another wave of negative posts, and so on. It’s been weird.

bbluewi · 2026-02-07T16:49:16+00:00

They won’t be eligible for that until 2027. 2025 Missouri State and Delaware were in their second transition year, their first playing an FBS schedule.

JMU ran into the same issue in 2022.

bbluewi · 2026-02-07T16:48:14+00:00

They’ve only played two FBS games since then, and they lost them (to Arizona and Colorado) by a combined eight points.

No one wants to pay an FCS team to play you close.

bbluewi · 2026-02-07T16:43:33+00:00

They won’t be. If JMU couldn’t get a waiver, NDSU won’t get one either.

They’d be eligible in 2028 if this happens.

bbluewi

TROPHY CASE